5 September 2006, Tuesday

Banksy (yeah, the graffiti artist) is again at it! Read the story at BBC where you can not only laugh at their total lack of understanding (”Paris Hilton targeted in CD prank“? How about “Commercialism”?) but you can also read several older Banksy stories (if you haven’t followed them already).

How, exactly, is this cool?
I fail to see the point.
Ridiculing Paris to her admirers?
First, what’s wrong with Paris? Except for being ugly, I mean. I don’t see any problem in that there are blonde, dumb, skinny enough to e considered of OK appearance, incredibly rich chicks who draw tons of attention towards themselves, capitalizing on people’s curiosity which is especially strong when it is nourished by greed and lust.

Second, what’s the goal? To send out a message to a broad target, or to hurt Paris’s feelings?

Goal 1 seems doomed, as the target would be the fans, and if you’re a fan enough to actually go and buy a Paris CD, I guess you’re beyond salvation. Goal 2 seems mean.

Or maybe to send out an indirect message to those who aren’t fans, but who would hear about the whole thing and be glad? That is, us? You, me…

Why, though, would we be glad to hear about this endeavour?
Because we are mean people who are happy to hear somebody’s feelings were hurt? (be it the fans’ or Paris’s)
Or because we are so self-righteous that it brings us joy to think that there are so many dumb people out there, to whom thank Gods we don’t belong, but who got what was coming to them?

Really, if the messages were at least funny, I’d think otherwise. But they aren’t.

As I said, I don’t really see Paris as the target. (As far as ridiculing her is concerned, I think she does a good job herself). I actually find the idea of Paris being the target as funny, because it shows the extent to which people newspapers “don’t get it”.

The target is the commercialised society, the citizens of the Brave New World. What is cool, is that some of them bought something which ridicules buying itself. I find this a great example of reverse engineering actually.

Furthermore, I consider this a genuine form of art, with a canvas that was hitherto barely (if at all) used. To quote somebody (forgot whom, it just sits in my quotes collection): “Of course it is crap. I am delusional, and therefore consider said crap to be fine examples of art”. (OT: Huh, google says it is (was) a guy from last.fm. Well, whatevah).